Many people on the docks took notice of the incoming ship, cheers and shouts erupting. The ship slowly turned to dock, everyone waving at the ship.
“The Prince is back!” someone shouted as the crowd thickened.
In ways it reminded me of Asphodel. Small canals ran through the city, and its people bustled with life. But everything was much brighter, happier. A city of perpetual starlight.
“And this, Elara, is my home. Empyrea.”
19
We would be staying until the next Tide, when the Gate would open. The time works differently here. Three years had gone by in my short time in the Underworld. I wondered what had changed above, in my old life.
As the ship docked, a long red carpet led the way into Empyrea. The Prince walked ahead, a large silver crown atop his head. Though when and where he had procured the crown was a mystery. The people threw flowers at his feet for him to walk on, bowing as he passed. They cheered for Zander and Keiran, who threw their arms up, flexing and grinning wide, hands on the hilt of their swords. Several small girls ran up to Gwen, giving her wreaths of flowers and hugs. Even Thana gained nods of approval.
And when they finished their praises for them, they scowled at me, heavy disgust escaping their narrow glares. Two guards flanked either side of me as though I were a prisoner. For my protection, I had been assured.
When the red carpet came to an end, a carriage led by four pristine white horses awaited. Demetri talked to the coach for a moment while the others loaded up. I wished I had been closer to the front to escape the awkwardness of the crowd.
Demetri appeared next to me as I began to step up. His hand grasped mine, propelling me easily into the carriage. The second of contact, unnoticed by everyone, left a burning imprint on my hand as he sat in the carriage opposite of me.
The large carriage accommodated the six of us quite comfortably. Gwen at my side, and Zander next to her, Thana and Keiran across from them. She spoke in whispers of her dream, finding meaning in the nonsense.
Across from me sat Demetri. I averted my eyes from him for as long as I could before flicking my gaze to him. His eyes met mine, smoldering in the dim light. His hair had been disheveled, the crown nowhere in sight. My heart jumped, and I looked out the window as the carriage began to move.
The crowd still waved, though I doubted they could see us through the dark glass. Only a skylight of starshine filled the carriage. Despite looking out at the beautiful city we passed, my cheeks heated, my thoughts on Demetri.
I could feel his stare, but when I glanced over, he had also occupied himself by looking out the window.
Keiran nudged the Prince with his elbow, “I've missed the girls here.” Keiran threw his arms around his head, leaning back as though he could relax within the stiff seats of the carriage. “You have your mind on who you're going to be courting?” The Prince didn't respond for a long time, prompting Keiran to continue. “I mean you can't wait forever. The people expect you to take a Queen. And we didn't bring back any prospects from Asphodel.” When Demetri still failed to respond, Keiran continued. “Any favorites?”
I tried to keep the appearance of my interest at a minimum. I glanced between the two of them, curious for the answer.
Demetri gave a small smile. “One.”
“Who?” asked Zander, also unable to avoid the conversation within the small confines of the carriage. “I mean, now that Celeste is gone—never mind.” Zander looked to Gwen with confusion written all over his face before quickly looking out the window as Gwen readjusted her elbow. The carriage stopped and everyone raced to escape the tight quarters.
When I exited the carriage, the magnificent castle towered above us. Many windows speckled the gray stone bricks, while tall towers pierced the sky with sharp points. The walls were smooth, and so well maintained they almost looked new.
No wall surrounded the castle for protection, only a luscious array of plants and flowers separated the Gothic castle and the town.
We began to walk along the cobblestone path leading through the courtyard. Within the middle, a fountain spewed into the sky, the droplets shattering the light of the stars, reflecting the color of the plant-life around. Above there was no signs of the cave, just a clear night sky, bright with a million stars. Was I even underground anymore?
My fingers grazed against the soft velvet petals. If I closed my eyes, it would feel exactly like Akeldama on a cool afternoon. The warmth of Empyrea surprised me. It lacked the heat of Taroth, which rang true to the fiery pits of hell. But it was not the damp, desolate Asphodel, either. It was perfect.
“Elara?” My eyes flashed open, meeting Gwen's curious stare. “Do you sense something?”
I pondered the words for a moment, glancing to Demetri, already far ahead, almost to the castle itself. I gave a quick smile, avoiding Gwen's touch as I moved past her, ready to race toward the castle. “I'm no Seer, Gwen.” I tried to laugh, wondering if my thoughts were so easy to read.
She caught up to me, walking beside me, but she remained silent. Everyone else waited at a huge drawbridge. I glanced down over the edge, seeing the rushing water underneath. I stepped back and carefully followed the others over the moat, staying as far away from the edge as possible until we arrived at the castle doors.
The four guards bowed to the Prince before opening the door. A sultry harp played from within, accompanied by flutes. A welcoming song, music so joyous it filled the air, and I could almost breathe it. Though, once we entered the castle, I could not find the source of the music.
We followed the sounds through the vaulted hallways until we arrived at the throne room. Several people stood in the middle of the room, wearing official looking clothes and bowing low as the Prince entered.
“Your Royal Highness,” one of the men said, falling to his knee as Demetri sat on the throne. The man was visibly older than the others, his black hair peppered gray. While the others hardly seemed older than Demetri. The Prince nodded at the man and he continued. “You're back early. How did your search go? Any luck?”
“No,” he said. “Something better.” He gestured to me and the man's eyes went wide in shock. The others turned and stepped away from me, as though just noticing I was there.
“Your Royal Highness, with all due respect...we need allies, not an enemy.”
Another man stepped forward, glancing at me before he spoke. “Prince, without a suitable Queen, you will never fully rule Astrea, as you know—”
The Prince held up his hand, silencing the man. “We've had a long journey. Let us discuss this later.” He stood from the throne, passing by the man. “In private.”
The man bowed deeply. “Apologies, my Prince.”
Demetri left the room, and others filtered out after him, until I was left alone with only Gwen and a handful of guards.
A man approached timidly, wearing the unadorned clothes of a servant. “I'll escort the guest to her rooms, Lady Gwenivere, so that you may go relax.”
I looked hesitantly between Gwen and the man as she gave me a nod of encouragement. I followed the man out of the throne room, leaving Gwen behind. Leading me through the many hallways, he mumbled to himself.
“A Red in Empyrea. If you were not standing before me, I would not believe it myself. And a guest, on top of that.” He glanced back at me, waving his arm at me to keep up.
He stopped in front of a mahogany door, opening it for me. Inside, my small duffle bag from the ship had been placed on a trunk at the end of the four-poster bed. A black lace canopy hung over the bed, easily mistaken for the Shadow.
“Lady Gwenivere has sent for some clothes,” the servant hovered at the door. “They should arrive shortly.”
I nodded, enraptured by the room. Through an archway, there was a small table with chairs in front of a fireplace. The bath had already been filled, hot water steaming from it. I began to walk instinctively toward the steaming bath when the man's voice sounded behind me, reminding me he was there.
“I sha
ll send for some assistance.”
Before he could close the door behind him, I rushed back to him. “No need for assistance. Thank you very much, sir.”
He gave a small nod, his lips pursed in scrutiny. “If you insist.”
I closed the small gap of vision between us, the door clicking shut. A warm breeze passed through lace curtains, revealing a balcony with a perfect view of both the stars and the beautiful city surrounding the castle.
I began to light every single candle, chasing away the Shadow so my room was not so easily accessed. When I had finished, I carefully peeled the clothes from my skin, removing the dingy gauze from the cut on my stomach.
It was still tender, but it seemed to have sealed fully. I stepped into the water, rubbing a pale purple soap on my skin, the scent of lavender rising to my nose.
I scrubbed myself clean twice over while the conversations from the throne room ran through my head before stepping out of the bath and wrapping a large robe around myself.
A vanity offered a small selection of necessities, and I selected the brush, trying to calm my hair before it became frizzy. My eyes felt tired, and as I looked out at the starlight, I wondered if it was because it was the first time it had been night in almost a month.
20
Breakfast awoke me, though I didn't remember falling asleep. I sifted through the boxes of clothes Gwen had sent. I pulled on a pair of tight fitting pants and shirt, both black. I cleaned the leather armor, wiping dirt from the crevices and oiling the leather until it shone before securing it over my clothes. I bound the arm braces and tightened the tall boots.
Voices drew me to the door, and I pressed my ear against it, straining to hear what the whispers were saying.
“...to Asphodel and only meet with the Duchess once.”
“Travel is a trivial task for royalty, Harris. The Red must be more important than the Duchess. But I would hate to be you if something happens to the Red.”
I opened the door, looking at the servant who had showed me the room, and a guard who had likely stood at the door through the night.
The servant closed his mouth, the words stolen from him at the sight of me. The guard remained stone-faced and still, not turning to look at me. “I trust you received your breakfast?”
I gave a small nod, a flash of purple hair appearing down the hall. “Oh, good. You're up.” Gwen said as she approached.
“The Red has eaten, Lady Gwenivere,” the servant reported.
“You are to address her as Lady Elara, Harris,” Gwen snapped. The servant bowed and backed away from the situation.
Gwen guided me around the castle, giving a tour. “...though the Prince is in meetings for the rest of the day, so we may do dinner in the back, not in this formal dining room.”
My hopes dropped as we passed the throne room and found the door closed. We continued to stroll around the castle until we ended up in the winding courtyard outside. The hedges were well groomed, shaped into perfect curves, and small white flowers peaked through the greenery.
A girl's giggled carried to my ears from ahead. I tried to avert my eyes, as the giggle had come from a couple on a bench within the courtyard. The girl had a stunning sheet of black hair, the silky smooth wave blocking the person at her side.
As we came closer, I saw that it was not just any couple. The giggling girl flipped her hair back. My heart raced and my face heated from embarrassment. Demetri sat next to her, his infamous smirk plastered on his face until he saw Gwen and me stopped a few meters away.
His grin disappeared, but I grabbed Gwen's arm, pulling her away from the scene and dragging her back to the castle.
“Elara,” she began, trying to free herself from my grasp. I kept walking, ignoring the tingling in my brain from her gift and pulling her along, not daring to look back. But small as Gwen was, she planted her heels on the stone pathway, forcing the two of us to come to a stop. “Elara.” She spoke more firmly, meeting my eyes. But as she looked at me, her expression softened. “I'm sorry.”
For a moment I wondered if she knew my feelings for him. If I had revealed them somehow by forcing our skin to touch. Or if I had been so obvious that she had figured it out without the aid of the Sight.
“No outsiders allowed. There a private meeting going on.” The guard outside the throne room refused to budge. I scowled and backed off, leaning against the wall opposite of the door. The guard watched me with annoyance, but must have preferred my new position to my arguments, as he said nothing.
Several days had gone by since I had seen Demetri in the courtyard. Every day he was busy with different meetings and appointments. It made sense, he had been gone from the capital of Astrea for at least a few months.
Several people entered the throne room in the time I watched the doors. It felt like several hours had passed when I sagged to the floor, my knees pressed to my chest and my back against the wall. A girl laughed at me with her friend as they entered the throne room, and the guard greeted them with a short bow and inched the door open, closing it before I could see what was inside.
My mind jutted together what to say to Demetri. Angry accusations of betrayal, questioning how he could do this to me. The more time that passed, the more pathetic I realized anything I had to say was. He was the Prince here. And I was just a Red.
Who was I to criticize him in his own kingdom? He had promised to take me back to the Upperworld, but nothing further than that. I stood up, my entire body sore from the hours of surveillance. The guard gave a silent grin of victory as I turned to walk down the hallway.
The door burst open, and dozens of Astrean women filtered out, all young and gorgeous. Behind the mess of black hair, Demetri flirted with a girl who trailed behind. I pressed myself against the wall, allowing the mob to pass.
“...he's so dreamy...”
“But he'll never pick either of you.”
“Who do you think he'll ask to the ball?”
Once the crowd had cleared, I made an escape, looking back to the throne room one last time before leaving. Demetri met my eyes. He held up a hand to stop me, but I ran away, though I had no idea where I was going.
Blurs of silver and black tapestries flashed by, dim lighting and the occasional servant heeded my pace, but soon I was deep within the courtyard around the castle, breathing in the fresh air and gentle scent of flowers. I ran until I heaved for breath, as far as I could get from the Prince of Darkness.
I chastised myself for acting like a young schoolgirl with a crush. To him, I was an alliance. How could I ever think there would be more between a Red and a Stalker?
I came to a stop, trying to catch my breath, my hand pressing into the rough edge of a boulder. I looked around. The gentle twinkle of the lampposts surrounding the castle had disappeared. Even the gigantic castle had disappeared on the horizon, replaced by the tall trees surrounding me. No path was in sight, just the messy clutter of fallen leaves.
The wail of a baby sounded from deep within the trees and a chill ran through my spine, getting the feeling of being watched. “Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing off the trees. Nobody responded, but I tip-toed through the crunch of the leaves.
A woman in a long white gown with white hair came out from behind a tree, holding the crying baby. I ducked behind a tree before she could see me, and I peaked out to make sure I had gone unnoticed. She continued along her path, a lullaby on her lips coaxing the child to sleep.
When she passed out of sight, and all the sounds had dissipated, I allowed myself to breathe properly from the minutes of silencing it. What was she doing here?
I looked through the thick canopy, the bright stars still visible. I began walking back the way I had come when a flash of light pierced the sky, dropping from the sky. It fell out of sight and I headed in the direction it fell.
The trees thinned out, and a small bright orb on the ground came into sight. Luminescent plants surrounded me, glowing almost as bright as the stars. The flowers glowed with all different
colors. The silence of nature was loud with the conversations of insects and the rustle of leaves in the wind. Perfectly round apples hung generously all over the tree above me.
I approached the orb cautiously. It glimmered within a tiny crater. I bent forward, grasping its warmth in my hands and staring down at it. It emitted a bright glow, almost a perfect sphere. The longer I held it, the glow ebbed away.
“A fallen star.” I turned to find Demetri, one of his hands rested on his sword, while the other pushed his hair from his face. I stared at him for a moment, admiring him in the beautiful starlight. “Elara, I need to explain. About those girls—”
I shook my head. “You don't need to explain anything. I acted silly and jealous, and I apologize for that.” My cheeks heated and I spun away from him, looking out at the colorful garden.
“Walk with me?” He asked as he stood next to me, lifting his arm for me to take. I had seen Zander do the same for Gwen. I shut out my thoughts and grasped his arm, allowing him to guide me through the terraces of the garden. I would be leaving soon. I may as well enjoy myself.
“What is this place?” I asked, trying to ignore the electricity that pulsed off his arm and into every nerve of my body. I gripped the star tightly in my free hand.
“It's our garden.” He plucked a strange piece of fruit from a tree, peeling a piece of it off and passing it to me. I put the star in my pocket, taking the fruit and letting the sweet juice slide down my throat. There was nothing so sweet in Krev, even on Bloodtide's great feasts.
“How does it grow?” I asked.
He smiled, as though it were a silly question. “The stars give off the light they need.”
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